Standardization News

A new ASTM International standard will help test organophilic clay, a product that is increasingly used to help remove oil and other materials as part of environmental remediation projects involving groundwater, soil, and sediment.  Potentially harmful substances stick to the clay’s surface, helping filter them out.

“This new standard can be used as an index test for the evaluation of the oil sorption capacity of a representative sample of organophilic clay,” says ASTM International member Jim Olsta, product manager of Huesker Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA). This standard (D8106) was developed by ASTM International’s committee on soil and rock (D18).

Manufacturers will find the standard useful for helping ensure quality control, while consultants and contractors will find it helpful when specifying products to use in environmental remediation projects. The task group that is working on the standards is seeking participants and suggestions for additional standards for groundwater, soil, and sediment remediation.

The next meeting of the committee will be Jan. 21-24, 2018, during the January committee week in New Orleans, Louisiana.